Zoned Evaporative Cooling Media for Air Intake House of Gas Turbine

Abstract

An evaporative cooling system for combustion gas turbine system has an array of cooling media including first and second cooling media types. The first cooling media type has a first maximum air velocity rating, and the second cooling media type has a second maximum air velocity rating that greater than the first maximum air velocity rating.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An evaporative cooling system for an air intake system of a combustion gas turbine system, the evaporative cooling system comprising:
 an array of evaporative cooling media including first and second cooling media types, the first cooling media type having a first maximum air velocity rating, and the second cooling media type having a second maximum air velocity rating greater than the first maximum air velocity rating.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporative cooling system set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second cooling media types are selectively positioned in zones within the array based on a cross-sectional air velocity distribution at an inlet face of the cooling media array. 
     
     
         3 . The evaporative cooling system set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the second cooling media type is positioned in a central zone of the array, and the first cooling media type is positioned in the perimeter zone of the array. 
     
     
         4 . The evaporative cooling system set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second cooling media types have equal thicknesses. 
     
     
         5 . The evaporative cooling system set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second cooling media types have different thicknesses. 
     
     
         6 . An air intake system for a combustion gas turbine system including a gas turbine engine, the air inlet system comprising:
 an air inlet house defining an interior for receiving air from outside the gas turbine system and delivering air along an air flow path toward the gas turbine engine;   at least one air filter disposed in the air inlet house for filtering air flowing in the air inlet house toward the gas turbine system;   an array of cooling media in fluid communication with the air inlet house for cooling air flowing in the air intake system toward the gas turbine engine, the array of cooling media including first and second cooling media types, the first cooling media type having a first maximum air velocity rating, and the second cooling media type having a second maximum air velocity rating greater than the first maximum air velocity rating.   
     
     
         7 . The air intake system set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the array of cooling media is disposed in the air inlet house. 
     
     
         8 . The air intake system set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the array of cooling media is downstream from the at least one air filter. 
     
     
         9 . The air intake system set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the first and second cooling media types are selectively positioned in zones within the array based on a cross-sectional air velocity distribution at an inlet face of the array of cooling media. 
     
     
         10 . The air intake system set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the second cooling media type is positioned in a central zone of the array, and the first cooling media type is positioned in the perimeter zone of the array. 
     
     
         11 . The air intake system set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the first maximum air velocity rating is less than or equal to about 500 fpm, and the second maximum air velocity rating is greater than 500 fpm. 
     
     
         12 . The air intake system set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the first and second cooling media types have equal thicknesses. 
     
     
         13 . The air intake system set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the first and second cooling media types have different thicknesses. 
     
     
         14 . A method of zoning an evaporative cooling system for a combustion gas turbine system including an air intake system defining an air flow path, the method comprising:
 determining a cross-sectional air velocity distribution at a cross-sectional area of the air flow path defined by the air intake system, wherein the air inlet velocity distribution includes first air velocities up to a first air velocity at first cross-sectional locations and a second air velocities greater than the first air velocity at second cross-sectional locations;   arranging first and second cooling media types in the air intake system as an array of cooling media based on the first and second cross-sectional locations of the respective first and second air velocities, wherein the first cooling media type is arranged in the array at cross-sectional locations generally corresponding to the first cross-sectional locations of the first air velocities, and the second cooling media type is positioned in the array at cross-sectional locations generally corresponding to the second cross-sectional locations of the second air velocities.   
     
     
         15 . The method set forth in  claim 14 , wherein said determining a cross-sectional air velocity distribution comprises simulating the cross-sectional air velocity distribution using computational fluid dynamics software. 
     
     
         16 . The method set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the first and second cooling media types have equal thicknesses. 
     
     
         17 . The method set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the first and second cooling media types have different thicknesses.